Football playoffs: Sparta shuts out River Dell, 40-0, for North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 championship

Behind junior running back Lucas Faria, the state's leading rusher, Sparta averaged 45 points per game during the regular season. But in the state sectional finals, it was the team's defense that stole the show.

In addition to pitching a shutout, the unit recorded eight sacks, returned a fumble for a touchdown and didn't allow River Dell to earn a first down until the end of the third quarter as Sparta won, 40-0, to capture the NJSIAA/Atlantic Health North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 championship on Saturday at MetLife Stadium.

“I'm extremely proud of the way our defense played today and the way they played all year,” Sparta coach Frank Marchiano said. “We averaged less than 10 points per game (allowed) all season, and to come out here and pitch a shutout is really a testament as to how hard these kids have worked all year. The way they came out today, the way our defensive coaches prepared those kids, it was just great.”

Senior defensive end Kevin Foulds recorded five of Sparta's eight sacks, four in the first quarter as Sparta's offense struggled to get moving.

“I feel like every play they ran, we stuffed it at the line of scrimmage,” Foulds said. “Our defensive tackles played unbelievable, making sure that fullback wouldn't get the ball so the quarterback was left for us defensive ends. Getting those sacks, it's the best feeling ever. The whole crowd was so pumped. Getting to the quarterback was just an unbelievable feeling.”

With Sparta (11-1) leading, 20-0, with 42 seconds left to play in the first half, cornerback Nick Shlala scooped a fumble and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown to put his team up, 27-0, at halftime.

“I think that score really changed the momentum of the game,” Marchiano said. “They wanted the ball back at the end of the half, and had they scored it could have been a much different talk at halftime. Nick has been a great player for us all year, both offensively and defensively. That score was huge.”

Faria ran for 86 yards and one touchdown, his least productive playoff game this year after rushing for 920 yards and nine touchdowns in his previous two games. But with eight River Dell defenders stacked in the box to stop the run, he carried the team's passing game. Faria caught two touchdown passes, one in the first quarter and another in the third, and finished with 82 receiving yards.

“Great players find a way and Lucas is a great player,” Marchiano said. “They were loading the box on us, so we turned to the air. Matt (Seville) was able to find him on a few passes. (Seville) had a great game himself.”

Seville, a senior, finished with 182 passing yards and three touchdowns on a 12-for-17 performance. His first score came on a 51-yard to pass to Faria to put Sparta up, 7-0, at the end of a first quarter.

He threw two more touchdowns in the second half, one to Faria in the third and another to wide receiver Teddy Fischer in the fourth.

“It's just an unbelievable feeling," Foulds said. "Years down the road when I look back at this year I'm going to remember us as a great team, a team that played together, played hard and never let up.

"I hope my kids ask me about this team and this year. I'll tell them, 'You wouldn't have wanted to play us.' "